Electric sign



June 24, 1930. FERGUSSQN 1,768,042

ELECTRIC SIGN Original-Filed Feb. 25; 1927 v gwuentoc Patented June 24,1930 UNITED STATES 'PAITEINT ounce .IoII'N E ssELI. FERGUSSON, orSYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AssIeNoE. TO PASS a SEY- moun, INCORPORATED, osYnncUsE, N w YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW vonx ELECTRIC SIGN Applicationfiled February 25, 1927 Serial No. 170,976. Renewed August 10, 1929.

This invention'relates to electric lamp receptacles and moreparticularly to that type of lamp receptacle used in electrical signsand fixtures.

. It is a generalobject of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved'recep- 'tacle of the type desired.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a novelreceptacle which may be attached to a thin plate without the use ofscrews or without the need of tools.

One of the features of the present receptacle consists in having at oneend-thereof a means for attaching that. end to the plate from the rearof the plate and for holding the receptacle tightly against the plateand having at the other end means which passes thru the plate when thereceptacle is. first mounted and which, from the front, may be caused tolock the receptacle firmly against the plate.

Other and further objects of the invention will be more apparent upon aconsideration of the accompanying drawing and followingspecificationwhere is disclosed a single exempla'ry embodiment of theinvention with the understanding however that various changes may bemade therein, such as fall within the scope of the appended claims,

without departing from the spirit of the invention. In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a face view of a receptacle according to the presentinvention mounted in position on a thin plate;

Figure 2 is a section through the thin plate on, line 22 of Figure 1showing the receptacle in plan at the beginning of the mountingoperation; and

Figure 3 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the receptaclefully mounted on the plate, portions of the receptacle also being insection.

' Receptacles for electric lamps for use in electric signs and fixturesare usually mounted behind a metal plate which is perforated for thepassage of the lamp base and for parts of the receptacle. There are twopopular methods of mounting suchreceptacles; one by passing screwsthrough'holes or slots in a metal plate and receiving them in threadedferrules in the body of the receptacle; and second, allowing a portionof the screw shell of the receptacle to project through the hole in themetal plate and screwing an insulating ring over the projecting portionof this shell. Each of these methods requires that the recepe tacle beheld from the rear of the plate and one front. In thecase of large signsthis requires two men.

The present invention contemplates ameans whereby the receptacle may befirmly or more operations performed on it from the.

attached by a single operator from the rear of the thin plate and maylater, without the use of tools, be more firmly attached by a singleoperation performed at the front of the thin Referring now to thedrawing, the

13 joining the main perforation.- The receptacle comprises a body 14 ofsuitable insulating material, preferably porcelain or the like of anysuitable configuration to receive the screw shell 15 for the lam-p baseand the center contact 16. Suitable terminals, not shown, may berecessed on the rear face 17 of the-body. Surrounding the outer edge ofthe screw shell is a flange 18 projecting from the surface 18' andintegral with the insulating body 14. It performs two functions; itinsulates the screw "shell from the sign plate and positions thereceptacle accurately on the plate and prevents any movement thereof byvirtue of passing through and closely-fitting the hole 11 in the plate.

In the copending application of Russel and Brooks, Serial Number151,803, filed November 30, 1926, is shown a device for temporarilyattaching a receptacle to a sign,

Such a device is shown on the against the bottom of the counter bore- 23and the other end against the inner head 26 of the stud. The outer head20 of the stud is thus held tightly against the surface 27 which iscoextensive with the surface 18' and rests against the sign plate 10when the receptacle is in mounted position. This surface 27 beneath thehead 20 is slightly less in width than'the slot 13 and on each side ofit the portion 22 is chamfered as shown at 28 so that the rib, of whichthe surface 27 .is the top, may be inserted in the slot 13 Q hole 32 andcounter bore in the extension 30 to receive the shank 3% of the .lockingmember 35. This shank is 7 provided with a surrounding coil spring 36bearing on the inner head 37 so that the as shown in Figure 2, whichthus positions the head 20 above the walls of the slot 13. Upon a pullon the receptacle body the spring 24 will be compressed and the stud maybe slid into the slot to assume the position shown in Figure 3 where itwill securely hold'the receptacle against the face of the sign plate.The'receptacle may then be wired so that the operation of mounting andwiring the same can all be done while the wgrkman is at the rear of thesign plate.

I In order that both ends of the receptacle may be firmly united to thesign plate means are provided in the extension 30 on the opposite sideof the receptacle from the extension 22 for that purpose. The front face31 of the extension 30 is in the same plane as the face 27 of theextension 22. A small 33 are provided spring tends to draw the angularhead 38 down against the surface 31. This head is an elongated memberintegral with the shank 34 and slightly less in width than the slot 12so that it may readily pass therethrough.

The shank 34 is so positioned entirely to one side of the head that withthe head turned as shown in Figure 2, toward the center of thereceptacle body, the shank and head will pass through the slot 12 whenthe receptacle is being positioned as previously described. The undersurface of the head 38 is chamfered on both sides as at 39 so that itmay readily be turned and will ride over the edges of the slot 12 andcan be made to assume the position shown in Figure, 3 where it bears onthe outer surface of the sign plate 10 and securely holds its end of thereceptacle conclusion of this operation on all of the receptacles theworkman. may then move to the front of the sign plate and rotate thelocking members by turning the heads 38 either by hand or by the use ofa tool either specially adapted for the purpose or a pair o fvpl'iers.The receptacle is thus firmly fastened into position by two springtension devices, neither of which requires the use of an instrument ortool for fastening, and yet neither of which will come looseaccidentally. A large amount of time is thus savedin the operation ofmounting the receptacles, and there are no loose parts such as screws orrings which may become lost or which may be difficult to handle in coldweather.

The receptacle abovedescribed will also find use in fixtures such asceiling bands, etc., in which a receptacle is supported in a metal platesurrounded by a canopy carrying a shade holder. Here the main advantageis the absence of any loose parts 'which may become lostfior misplaced.The time saved in assembling the receptacle in the fixture is also ofconsiderable importance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric sign, in combination, a sign plate having aperforation therethru, a receptacle having an insulating body abuttingthe rear face of said-plateat said perforation, spring meanssecured toone end of said body, passing thru said perforationand engaging thefront face of the plate, and a rotatable member mounted in said body,passing thru said perforation, and having an eccentric head adapted tobe rotated '1 to engage the front face of said plate.

2. A'lamp receptacle for electric fixtures, including in combination, aninsulating body, a headed stud slidably mounted and spring restrained insaid body, a fastenln'g means having ashank slidably and rotatablymounted in said body, an eccentric head on said shank outside of saidbody and means restraining said head against said body.

3. In an electric lamp receptacle, in combination, a body of insulatingmaterial hav- 1 ing a face adapted to abutvthe back of a plate, a studslidable in said body near one side thereof, and having a head at saidface, resilient means t8 bias said head toward said face, and meanseccentrically movable to engage over said plate at the other side ofsaid body.

4. In an electric sign, in. combination, a

metal plate having an opening therethru, a, receptacle having a flangeadapted to pass thru said opening, said plate having two slotsconnecting with said opening, said recepta'cle having a face adapted toabut the rear of said plate when the flange passes thru said opening,means projecting thru said face and adapted to be passed tbru saidopening and into one of said slots to hold said face against said plate,and means passing thru said other slot and engaging the front of saidplate, said means being resiliently attached to said receptacle. 1

5. In a lamp receptacle for electric signs,

in combination, an insulating body adapted to be placed against the rearface of a sign plate and means slidable and rotatable in and at alltimes secured to said receptacle adapted to cooperate with the frontface of the plate to secure the receptacle to said plate at two places.

6. A lamp receptacle adapted to be mounted in a thin metal plate havinga large hole and communicating slots therethru, including incombination, a body containing screw shell and center contacts andhaving a flange adapted to pass thru said hole, means spring retained insaid body to pass thru said hole and engage over said plate adjacent oneof said slots, means passing thru said other slot, said last mentionedmeans being rotatable to prevent the same from being Withdrawn thru saidslot.

7. In an electric sign, in combination, a sign plate having aperforation therethru, a receptacle having an insulating body abut tingthe rear face of said plate around said perforation, means secured toone end of said body, passing through said perforation and having a headengagingthe front face of the plate, and a stud permanently mounted insaid body, passing thru said perforation, and having a head adapted .tobe rotated about an axis normal to said plate to engage the front faceof said plate. a

8 A lamp receptacle for electric fixtures, including in combination, aninsulating body, a headed stud mounted in said body, a fastening meanshaving a shank slidably and rotatably mounted-in said body and alaterally elongated head on said shank outside of said body and meansrestraining said head against 'said body.

9. In an electric sign, in combination, a metal plate having an openingtherethru, a. receptacle having a flange adapted to pass thru saidopening, said plate havingtwo slots connecting with said opening, saidreceptacle having a face adapted to abut the rear of said plate when theflange passes thru said opening, means projecting thru said face andadapted to be passed thru said opening and into one of saidslots to holdsaid face against said plate, and means passing thru said other slot andengaging the front of said plate, said second means being resilientlyattached to said receptacle.

In testimony whereofI hereunto aflix my signature.

J OHN RUSSELL FERGUSSON.

